Martin Hall (TV series)
Martin Hall is a Georgeland television drama series, which began airing on Channel 12 in May 2007. The series, created by Joe Starnes, centres around the recently elected President of Georgeland, Joan Tanner, played by Rebecca Jordan-Wiley. The series is described as a West Wing or Commander-in-Chief for the Georgeland marketplace. The first episode, entitled "A Great Leap Forward", aired on May 12. The show recieved a total of 7 million viewers. Since then, she show's regular Friday-night timeslot has averaged around 4.7 million viewers, lower than expected but still high for that particular timeslot. The final episode, Meltdown, saw viewing figures of 8.5 million, the highest in the show's history. After the first series of 13 episodes completed its run on August 4, 2007, Channel 12 announced that the show had been renewed for a second season. All major cast members were signed for 13 new episodes. The second season of Martin Hall was due to begin airing in April 2008. However, on February 5, Channel 12 elected to begin the run early after the writers' strike in the United States disrupted the scheduled resumption of imported programming. The airdate for the first episode of Season 2 was moved from April 5 to February 16. Veteran actor Ross Rann and actress/comedienne Lucy Bishop will join the permanent cast for Season 2, playing the President's press secretary and parliamentary liason respectively. On April 2, 2008, Channel 12 confirmed the series would be renewned for at least two more series, to air in late 2008 and mid-2009 respectively. Show concept President Tanner, a new grandmother who has also been recently elected President (in a popular election, which Georgeland will hold in 2008 but has not held since 1954), will come into conflict with the Prime Minister, played by Mark Collins, and consent to a general election. Unfortunately, she gets more than she bargained for when Alan Wheatley (Kevin Bosley) emerges as the winner of the election; when he is appointed Prime Minister, he starts to conflict with Tanner even more than his predecessor. Tanner and Wheatley struggle for control and influence, while Tanner tries to be a national figurehead and yet influence government without damaging the Presidency. She also must deal with her family life as well as the duties of Georgeland's head of state. Characters See also: List of Martin Hall characters Major Characters *'Dr. Joan Tanner' (Rebecca Jordan-Wiley) is a 56-year-old mother and grandmother from Long Island who, as the series begins, was elected President four months previously. Tanner is a former schoolteacher and later a professor of political science, and is therefore an expert in political matters. She will learn, through the series, that politics is different in theory than in practice. Highly intelligent and very devoted to her family, President Tanner is a consensus-builder, a political independent who dislikes partisan politics. She is not inclined to try to govern the nation, but she has her own ideas about what should and should not be, and this brings her into conflict with the elected government. Tanner tries to keep her family life and her political life separate, but things never seem work out that way. *'Alan Wheatley' (Kevin Bosley) is Leader of the Opposition at the beginning of the series, but was sworn in as Prime Minister in Episode 1. Wheatley is charismatic and charming, but somewhat obsequious and patronising when dealing with President Tanner. Tanner and Wheatley are not on good terms, and their differing ideals is a central point of conflict. Wheatley's political party is kept vague and not explicitly stated. Small amounts of personal information about Wheatley has been revealed - he is a Roman Catholic, hails from Sergiocitta and is married with several children. There are signs, particularly towards the end of the series, that relations between Tanner and Wheatley are set to improve in the future. *'Robbie Dahl' (Vijay Kanya) is President Tanner's Chief of Staff. He comes from a corporate background and is well-suited to the task of managing the President's affairs. He dislikes Wheatley intensely. Robbie is a jovial sort who makes light of almost everything, and in many ways is still a 'high-flier' and behaves like a wealthy corporate executive. He is slightly eccentric and can border on the manic sometimes, but is very good at his job and highly protective of the President. *'Ingrid Sutter' (Amy Roe) is President Tanner's Executive Secretary. Ingrid is young and idealistic, and has a somewhat naive view of the world and of politics in particular. Ingrid and Robbie have an ambiguous relationship. *'James Tanner' (John Riley) is the First Gentleman. A clinical psychologist, James still works actively and has little time for politics. He would probably have preferred his wife not to run for office, but he supports her when he can and acts as a sounding board. *'Luke Tanner' (Colin Beach) is Tanner's eighteen-year-old son, and the only one living in Martin Hall with his parents. Luke is a teenage rebel, who, despite now being a legal adult, behaves like he is still in high school. His adolescent behaviour and delinquent tendencies will cause trouble for President Tanner and her staff. *'Charlie Dunlap' (Ross Rann) is the Press Secretary to the President and the "number two" ranking member of Martin Hall's staff. Creator Joe Starnes has stated that the character of Charlie will be "introduced, but he's always been there", suggesting the character will retrospectively have been present during the events of the first series. *'Margaret King': (Lucy Bishop) is a newly-hired liaison to Parliament, acting as President Tanner's messenger and advocate to the legislature. Margaret will be introduced as a new member of staff in Episode 1 of Series 2. Minor Characters *'David Walker' (Mark Collins) is Prime Minister in the first episode until his replacement by Alan Wheatley. He conflicts with Tanner over draconian anti-terrorism legislation, but in the past had a good relationship with her and her predecessor. Walker also appeared in episodes 7 and 13. Producer Joe Starnes has implied Walker will have a greater role in Season Two. *'Cynthia Drummond' (Wendy Frist) is the new Leader of the Opposition. She tries to manipulate Tanner as much as Wheatley, to the President's disgust. Drummond has appeared in four episodes to date, with substantial roles in episodes 3 and 4, and lesser roles in episodes 12 and 13. *'John Richmond' (Eddie Bilson) is President Tanner's immediate predecessor, who served for eight years. Richmond is a counsellor and adviser to his younger successor, who time to time offers sage advice on how to deal with a hostile government. Richmond appeared first in Episode 2 and again in Episode 6 and Episode 12. *'Thomas Burgess' (David Rothman) is Governor of West Mainland and has been in office longer than any other state Governor, making him Acting President when Tanner leaves the country in Episode 7. In that episode, Burgess effectively usurps power by rescinding some of Tanner's orders and signing legislation Tanner refused to assent to. Burgess also appeared in Episode 8. *'Benjamin Simons' (Colin Kidd) is Governor of Delmago Island and the second-longest-serving state Governor. He acts as President in Episodes 12 and 13 when Tanner and Burgess are both out of the country. Simons is 74 years old and rather infirm, but mentally sharp and unwilling to let Wheatley ride roughshod over the Presidency. List of Episodes Season One #'A Great Leap Forward' Air date: May 12, 2007 President Tanner conflicts with Prime Minister Walker over a counter-terrorism bill. The President's influence leads the bill to be defeated in the Senate, and Walker calls a general election. Wheatley wins the election, but after the campaign is over announces plans to pass the counter-terrorism laws after a pub bombing in Scoita. Tanner begins to realise that Wheatley may be worse than his predecessor as the two go head-to-head over who has a mandate to run the country. #'A Time to Heal' Air date: May 19, 2007 Wheatley's new government has written Tanner's speech for the opening of Parliament, but she doesn't want to read it because she doesn't agree with it. The crisis begins to boil over as Robbie rewrites the speech and Tanner tells Wheatley that it is the speech she'll be reading and not the one his government has written. Wheatley urges the President to reconsider, and uses Tanner's daughter as leverage to get Tanner to comply. #'Malconsensus' Air date: May 26, 2007 The new Leader of the Opposition, Cynthia Drummond, offers President Tanner help in creating a bipartisan policy forum, something Tanner has wanted for months, but Robbie doesn't trust her motives or her attitude. Drummond turns out to be just as manipulative and just as Machiavellian as Wheatley, giving Robbie little faith in politics. Meanwhile, Wheatley and his Treasurer have a very public feud over superannuation funds, and Tanner feels tempted to back the Treasurer's view. #'The Origin of Species' Air date: June 2, 2007 A maverick MP from the religious Right introduces a bill to mandate the teaching of creationism in public schools. Initially opposed to the bill, Tanner finds the arguments somewhat compelling, and when Wheatley insults Tanner at a speech to a Catholic gathering, she decides to back the bill and embarrass Wheatley. Robbie argues with Tanner over the legislation, Drummond tries to get the President to switch sides while Wheatley is content to let Tanner shoot herself in the foot. #'Gathering Storm' Air date: June 9, 2007 President Tanner faces her first military test after a Georgeland airliner explodes over Saudi Arabia. While Tanner urges a diplomatic solution and United Nations action, Wheatley flies a khaki flag and threatens military retaliation. Finding herself in conflict with Wheatley again, Tanner is heartened by overwhelming support for her position and forces Wheatley to bring the Saudis to the bargaining table, extracting promises to crack down on terrorism against foreign targets. The motivation for the bombing remains unclear, but Wheatley seems convinced it was Islamists, while Tanner's information points to Scoitan seperatists. Can they both be right, or is Wheatley deliberately keeping Tanner in the dark? #'Luke' Air date: June 16, 2007 Tanner's son Luke is arrested for drug offenses, causing embarrasement to Joan and James. They find a surprising ally in Wheatley, or so they think, until the Prime Minister unveils a new anti-drug initiative which threatens to leave the Tanners high and dry. Wheatley might be persuaded to withdraw the legislation - but at a very lofty price. Tanner conflicts with Drummond over an opposition amendment to the education funding bill, while Robbie discovers a shocking secret about his parents. #'Out of Town' Air date: June 23, 2007 President Tanner embarks on an overseas visit to Japan, where a meeting with the Japanese Prime Minister is disrupted by violent clashes between police and protestors. Tanner is embroiled in a scandal when the Japanese PM is accused of hiding his father's war atrocities. Meanwhile, Wheatley sees his chance to circumvent Tanner by using the acting President, West Mainland's Governor Burgess, to sign laws he knows Tanner will never agree to. #'Welcome Home' Air date: July 1, 2007 President Tanner returns from Japan, but all is not well. Governor Burgess has signed a contraversial electoral law that helps Wheatley's future election chances, and it's too late for Tanner to do anything about it. Wheatley is smug in victory, and Burgess, unapologetic, initially refuses to leave Martin Hall. Meanwhile, Tanner's family problems escalate as Luke is picked up for public drunkenness and James is diagnosed as suffering from clinical depression. This episode air a day later than scheduled due to coverage of the general election. #'Phone Home' Air date: July 7, 2007 Air Force radar picks up a UFO over Long Island, which is reported in local media by accident. Within hours, the country catches alien fever as the Air Force denies the UFO is an alien spaceship. The media frenzy grows and grows until it reaches Martin Hall, where Tanner takes the unusual step of going on TV to deny the aliens while Wheatley plays along with the country's national obsession with alien activity. The identity of the UFO is confirmed as terrestrial, but the country isn't satisfied. Meanwhile, the President and First Gentleman argue over what to do about Luke's self-destructive behaviour - Joan wants him to seek counselling, but James is convinced he needs to go to rehab - or even to jail. #'Our Sons' Air date: July 14, 2007 When three FISIA agents are captured by rebels in the African nation of Enkidu, the President and the Prime Minister are forced to co-operate on a military plan to secure their rescue. When the revels launch a sudden counterattack, however, relations break down between Tanner and Wheatley, with Wheatley urging a decisive military strike while Tanner wants to negotiate a peace settlement. Meanwhile, Robbie finds himself attracted to Ellen, one of Wheatley's advisers. #'Allies and Enemies' Air date: July 21, 2007 A fully-fledged civil war has sprung up in Enkidu, for which Tanner feels responsible. Despite Wheatley's strong objections, she plans a goodwill visit to the troubled African nation in hopes of helping to broker a peace deal between the warring factions. But Wheatley is determined for her not to go and sets out to sabotage the visit before it begins. Robbie goes on a date with Ellen, and boasts to her about his skill at covering up the activities of Tanner's family when they "go astray". When that information is leaked to the media, it creates a huge storm and threatens Tanner's entire Presidency as she is bombarded with questions about what her family get up to. #'Save Our Souls' Air date: July 28, 2007 President Tanner begins her visit to Enkidu, but it's a harrowing experience for everybody. The civil war has reaped untold devastation on the country and its people, and when Tanner sees some of the horror first-hand she breaks down. At home, Wheatley again attempts to exploit Tanner's absence by rushing through a gerrymandering elections bill. Robbie, however, is ready for him and has already arranged for the senior State Governor to be overseas; the new Acting President, the Governor of Delmago Island, is much more willing to oppose Wheatley's plan. As Tanner recovers back at the Presidential Palace in Enkidu, the episode ends in a nightmare scenario - Enkidu rebels storm the palace and take Tanner hostage. The rebel leader puts a gun to Tanner's head and issues a demand - all Georgeland forces out of the country, or she dies... #'Meltdown' Air date: August 4, 2007 As Tanner is held hostage by Enkidu rebels, Wheatley and Robbie run the War Room and attempt to reach a diplomatic solution. When the rebels shoot the negotiator, Wheatley opts for a military rescue, which puts Tanner's life in extreme danger. As footage of the crisis is broadcast worldwide, Wheatley's determination to end the crisis by force leads him into conflict with Robbie, ending with Robbie hitting the Prime Minister and being dragged off by the police. Wheatley agonises over his decision as the clock ticks down, and with time running out, makes his final decision after a conversation with James Tanner. Wheatley orders the troops to rescue President Tanner. The rescue mission succeeds, the rebel leader is killed but Tanner is injured in the process. Wheatley is left alone in the War Room in relief, but the next battle, between the President and the First Gentleman, is yet to come. Former Prime Minister Campbell Rhodes made a cameo appearance in this episode, playing a reporter at Wheatley's news conference. Season Two #'New Beginnings' Air date: February 16, 2008 Three months after the events in Enkidu, President Tanner recovers from her ordeal, in the countryside attended by daughter Lisa, but notably not her husband, who remains at Martin Hall. Tanner seems little interested in the affairs of government, which prompts Wheatley into taking soundings about her possible resignation. Meanwhile Robbie has been released on bail for assaulting Wheatley but is under an injunction not to return to work until after his trial, meaning he is taking a forced vacation. He struggles with the idea of not working and constantly rings Ingrid to give advice which she is legally bound not to follow. With Robbie out of the office, there is no Acting Chief of Staff. When this allows Wheatley to pass amendments to electoral laws unchecked, Tanner reluctantly returns to work, has it out with Wheatley and appoints Charlie Dunlap as interim Chief of Staff until Robbie is either convicted or acquitted. She orders Charlie to hire a professional lobbyist to act as liaison to Parliament to prevent Wheatley getting the drop on them again. #'Read All About It' Air date: February 23, 2008 With Robbie still awaiting trial, Charlie, as acting Chief of Staff, interviews candidates for the position of Parliamentary Liaison. There are several good contenders, but the most outstanding is Margaret King, a divorced mother of two with a knowledge of parliamentary procedure and political reality to rival Robbie's own. Charlie recommends her appointment to Tanner and she agrees, but when Robbie finds out about her he develops a sudden irrational dislike without ever actually meeting her. Meanwhile, Wheatley's Foreign Minister makes a speech critical of Israel for which Wheatley rebukes him, but several cabinet colleagues side with the Foreign Minister and a potential rival for the leadership develops. As the rift grows, the press begin to smell blood and soon Wheatley is bombarded, both in parliament and elsewhere, about the incident. His leadership slightly tarnished by the affair, the only person who might be able to help him is President Tanner and her new Parliamentary Liaison. #'Kill All the Lawyers' Air date: March 1, 2008 Robbie is finally standing trial for assaulting Wheatley, but even his lawyer doubts he can stay out of jail. With the prospect of her Chief of Staff being imprisoned very real, President Tanner prepares to advertise for a new one, with Charlie the prime candidate for the position. Meanwhile, Wheatley brings a new law to Cabinet which will create a constitutional referendum to increase the powers of the parliament to approve judges. Though he sells it as a democratic reform, Charlie and Margaret suspect that it is actually an attempt by the Prime Minister to remove the President's consultation powers. They team up to stall the reform, but there is overwhelming public support for it and Tanner dare not speak out. Fortunately, Tanner finds a surprising ally in former Prime Minister David Walker, who comes out against Wheatley - but Margaret suspects his motives are not pure. Robbie prepares himself for prison and writes a letter of resignation, though he does not sign it. #'Best Served Cold' Air date: March 8, 2008 Wheatley is on a state visit to India and Pakistan, leaving the Deputy PM, Ed Jones, in charge. Jones promptly puts his foot in it almost immediately when Tanner makes a speech about healthcare and Jones directly admonishes her, leading to a war of public opinion which Tanner overwhelmingly wins. Charlie and Margaret decide to capitalise on this by unveiling an agenda on Parliament that totally conflicts with that of Wheatley and the government. With Wheatley out of the country, Tanner relishes her chance for a bit of revenge on his government. Meanwhile, Robbie's trial is not looking good, and he is looking like facing a lengthy prison term. As Robbie signs his letter of resignation and makes arrangements for Ingrid to pack up his office, Charlie has an idea. Charlie leans on Jones, who is facing Cabinet and backbench uproar over the Tanner Agenda. Jones telephones Wheatley with a proposal. As Robbie is due to recieve his verdict, Wheatley suddenly drops all charges against him and he is released. A jubilant Tanner wads up her agenda document and throw it across the room into a wastepaper basket and tells Ingrid to make a cake to welcome back her Chief of Staff. #'Twelve Months' Air date: March 15, 2008 Twelve months have passed since President Tanner took office. As the staff plan their celebrations, Wheatley announces reforms to Parliamentary procedures, including an independent Speaker and a reformed committee system, which is hailed as a blow for democracy - even Robbie is impressed, until he begins to suspect Wheatley's motive. Robbie and Margaret, who already despise one another, are forced to work together to determine Wheatley's real agenda. At Margaret and Ingrid's urging, Robbie is forced to contact Ellen for an idea as to what Wheatley is doing. The consensus seems to be that Wheatley is simply attempting to steal Tanner's thunder, but Robbie and Margaret suspect another, darker, motivation behind the changes. Unable to prove anything, Robbie and Margaret are forced to give up, but not before Robbie confronts Wheatley and asks him directly for an answer, though he does not get one. Robbie and Margaret attend the anniversary celebrations, but so does Wheatley. #'Heads of State' Air date: March 22, 2008 The Presidential and Prime Ministerial staffs are forced to co-operate on a very important occasion - preparations for a visit by the President of the United States. The two teams, led by Charlie and by Ellen, clash over whom the President will meet with and when - Charlie and Tanner want the meeting of the two Presidents to be a formal issues discussion, while Wheatley's staff insist the 'meaningful' discussions take place only with the Prime Minister. The American officials grow increasingly frustrated at the infighting between Martin Hall and the Residence, and threaten to pull the visit unless both sides agree. Finally, Wheatley and Tanner are personally forced to break the deadlock in a face-to-face meeting at which they agree to a compromise. Meanwhile, Robbie is still adjusting to life back at work and his feelings for Ellen, which continue to resurface as a jealous Ingrid keeps an eye on him. #'Hail to the Chief' Air date: March 29, 2008 President Tanner and Prime Minister Wheatley temporarily put their differences aside to play joint hosts to Henry Yeats, the President of the United States. Yeats meets first with Tanner and then with Wheatley, but shortly afterwards a pro-democracy protest breaks out in Beijing, threatening to become another Tiananmen. Yeats retreats to a "command centre" to monitor the process while Tanner meets with Chinese officials in the hopes of brokering a dialogue, something Wheatley and Robbie both warn her against. Meanwhile, Drummond's meeting with Yeats quickly turns into a scandal as she inadvertantly gives away details of their conversation, concerning the Chinese democracy movement, during a press conference. Yeats is incensed, Wheatley is delighted and Tanner is horrified when the Chinese walk out on her. Tanner initially blames Drummond but when she is further snubbed by the Chinese she switches sides and comes to Drummond's aid. Yeats leaves town early with the state visit having developed into a comedy of errors and leaving Tanner, Wheatley and Drummond all weakened and bruised. #'Domestic Affairs' Air date: April 5, 2008 The Wheatley government is rocked by a sex scandal, as the Prime Minister discovers to his horror and embarrasment that two of his Cabinet ministers had been having an affair with the same woman - who was also involved with a convicted mobster. As Wheatley deals with the fallout from the Profumo-esque scandal, Robbie meets with Ellen in an apparent attempt at reconciliation, but Ingrid won't let the two of them be alone. Joan and James Tanner finally discuss the Enkidu incident, and James reveals that he did, indeed, give tacit permission for Wheatley to launch his dangerous rescue mission, endangering her life. The Tanners reconcile after long, heartfelt admissions from both sides. Ellen and Robbie attempt to sneak away from Ingrid's gaze for a long conversation of their own, but the jealous Ingrid manages to tail them to a downtown bar. Suddenly realising she's acting like a stalker, she allows Ellen and Robbie to talk...but the talk quickly turns into something more serious. Wheatley dismisses both ministers from his cabinet and, at the meeting with Tanner to formalise the arrangement, the two bond slightly over the serious trials each has faced during the week. #'Choices We Make' Air date: April 12, 2008 Luke is once again arrested on drug charges, and under Wheatley's proposed (and retrospective) drug laws, he would go to prison for more than five years. The Tanners, distraught, appeal to police for clemency, but the local police will do nothing. Wheatley offers the Tanners a way out - he'll make the bill non-retrospective, meaning Luke will only recieve a minimal sentence, if President Tanner agrees to an act of hari-kiri and announce she won't run for a second term. Margaret and Charlie urge Tanner to take the deal, but James, in a rare act of partisanship, lobbies his wife to not agree to Wheatley's terms. As the standoff threatens to destroy the President's family, an unlikely ally emerges in the form of a maverick backbencher who dislikes Wheatley's tactics. When the vote is called, the bill is defeated in the House. A bloodied Wheatley agrees to shelve the legislation for three months, and Tanner tells him that she's here to stay and she'll never agree to a self-imposed term-limit at gunpoint. Luke is sentenced to six months prison, but Wheatley's leadership has suffered a serious blow. #'Requiem' Air date: April 19, 2008 Former Prime Minister Ben Douglas has died. Tanner, as a matter of protocol, has to attend the funeral but gladly allows Wheatley to read the eulogy. Walker, however, has other ideas and the President finds herself mediating between the two men to decide who has the right to eulogise a man she knows for a fact neither one liked. Meanwhile, Charlie meets with a group called Georgeland for a Monarchy, which proposes becoming a Commonwealth Realm after eighty years as a republic. Ellen and Robbie are still trying to decide what kind of relationship they have, but Robbie can't get past the feeling that he's being played. Ingrid, still smarting with jealously, goes to Margaret to seek romantic advice - something Margaret is not exactly qualified to do. At the funeral, Tanner and Wheatley clash over budget negotiations. Wheatley is planning to include tax cuts for higher-income earners as an economic stimulus, but Tanner can't go along with the idea and threatens a veto. Wheatley, gambling that she's bluffing, tries to humour her but the President is in no mood for games. Wheatley declares endgame and announces the tax cuts right after the funeral. With budget night still six weeks away, Tanner tells Robbie and Margaret they have that long to find a solution, or Tanner will veto the budget outright. #'Desperate Measures' Air date: April 26, 2008 Tanner has never been more popular, enjoying a record approval rating of 74%. Wheatley, on the other hand, due to the drug bill affair and the recent scandals, has been passed in the polls by Drummond for the first time. As Tanner enjoys her popularity and is mobbed during a public appearance, Wheatley decides to retaliate and plays a trump card against Tanner. The Prime Minister completes his budget and, as the Treasurer prepares to read it to the House of Commons, Margaret discovers what's in it and is not amused. Wheatley's proposals to slash the President's budget and fund a 'pork-barrel' roads program make it to the President, who declares she will veto them along with the tax cuts. The tide of public opinion starts to turn Wheatley's way as he argues that he, not Tanner, sets the agenda for the government. Meantime, Luke languishes in prison and is having difficulty adjusting, beginning to suffer from severe depression. Robbie searches for legal avenues for his release, but the Attorney-General is neither able nor willing to help. #''Above the Law'' Air date: May 3, 2008 Budget Night is three days away and still there is a stalemate. Wheatley and the Treasurer won't budge on the upper-bracket tax cuts, and neither will Tanner, despite urging from Robbie that she do so. Tanner grapples with her own conscience and those of her staff in an all-night strategy meeting. As Ingrid finally gets her chance to tell Robbie how she feels, she is interrupted by Margaret to announce the President's decision. Wheatley is having his own meeting to determine a course of action when he is summoned to Martin Hall for a face-to-face with Tanner. The President has come to a decision, and Wheatley won't back down. He calls her bluff and summons Parliament a day early where the Treasurer makes his budget announcement about the tax cuts. As Tanner and her staff watch, debate on the budget is gagged and the money bills are sent through Parliament at speed before winding up on Tanner's desk. The President agonises about the decision but when she sees Wheatley publicly calling her out, she stiffens her resolve. As her staff watch, Tanner calls a press conference and announces that she is invoking her reserve powers and refusing assent to the budget, thereby triggering a shutdown of government and a constitutional crisis... #''Disillusion'' Air date: May 10, 2008 Series finale The country is deadlocked. The government is shut down, the markets are crashing and the head of state and head of government are completely at loggerheads over the situation. As the stalemate drags into a third day with no end in sight, Martin Hall staffers are sent home, except for the senior staff who volunteer to work with no wages. The 'down time' allows Ingrid to confront Robbie about her feelings and an agonising conversation takes place, which Robbie cannot escape from because Ingrid has locked the door and unplugged his phone. As Ellen desperately tries to break the logjam, all she can do is get a sympathetic Charlie to talk to the President, but when Wheatley finds out she went over his head he fires her. As the situation drags on through the night, the polls show the public are damning both Tanner and Wheatley for their stubbornness. Charlie convinces Tanner and Wheatley to meet face-to-face, whereby Wheatley proposes a solution. He requests that Tanner grant a dissolution of parliament and call a general election. With no choice, and with the protests outside gathering strength, Tanner agrees, knowing that, if Wheatley is re-elected, her position will become untenable. Season Three Starnes and the network have confirmed that the cliffhanger will be resolved in Episode 1 of Series 3. The major cast members have all be signed for the third series, though Starnes has revealed on the program's website that 'some characters will appear less than they have before, and some will appear more'. He hinted that Ellen and Walker will have greater roles in Season Three. Pre-production on the third season began in July 2008. In an interview with the entertainment section of the Globe and Standard newspaper, Starnes revealed that Pattie Boothe (Ellen) will be added to the main cast and that the premiere episode will "set the tone" for the rest of the series. It is assumed Wheatley will win the general election but that somehow Tanner will continue as President. When asked in the interview if this was the case, Starnes' cryptic response was "not necessarily". Starnes revealed more in a follow-up interview with the same paper on September 28, 2008. He revealed the following pieces of information about Season Three: *Wheatley will continue to be Prime Minister at least for the first few episodes. *The election result will not be known until several episodes into the season. (this later proved to be false, a 'red herring' planted to mislead viewers.) *The character of Ellen will be added to the main cast and will assume an advisory role to President Tanner. *The first episode of the third season explores the concept of presidential neutrality and will be in some ways a 'reaction' to the real-life election of President Lois Daniels. *The first episode will show us the often-mentioned, never-seen Chief Minister of West Mainland, Doug Steele, who will be played by Thomas McCabe. *Ellen, Robbie and Ingrid will form a 'love triangle' which may not be resolved by the end of the season. *More about Wheatley's past will be revealed. *It is possible Wheatley's actual political party will finally be revealed to the viewer. Starnes also confirmed the name of the Season Three opener, ''Seven Days in May, a homage to the 1964 film of the same name, and confirmed the airdate of the episode as November 8. #'Seven Days in May' Airdate: 8 November 2008 The election campaign is in full swing. With only one week to go, Wheatley has turned the tables on Drummond and now leads her in the polls. As Tanner sits silently and watches events without commenting, Ingrid and Charlie have to virtually restrain Robbie from interfering and opening his mouth, knowing he can only make things worse. To Ingrid's chagrin, Margaret finds the ideal distraction - Ellen, Robbie's old flame and Wheatley's former staffer, approaches her about a job. To keep Robbie occupied they indulge her as the election goes on. Wheatley and Drummond exchange barbs in the debate and resort to personal attacks. When asked to comment, Tanner makes a dignified statement against personal politics. A new poll is released, days before the election, showing Tanner is more popular than either Wheatley or Drummond. Wheatley and Drummond both attempt to approach Tanner, but Wheatley gets in first and makes her an offer - an active, but quiet, role behind the scenes in the making of policy. Tanner agrees, despite Robbie's objections. Alan Wheatley is re-elected as Prime Minister with an increased majority. In his election night speech, he praises the President and declares that a new era of co-operation is beginning. But, muses Robbie, can he really be trusted? #'Round Two' '"Airdate: 15 November 2008'' Wheatley begins to assemble his new government, but faces a dilemma with his choice for Environment Minister, Toby Conway. Robbie and Conway are bitter rivals from their university days, a rivalry made worse by the fact that both once wooed the same woman. As Robbie tries to stop Conway's appointment, Ellen begins her first day at work with a hazing from the staff, to the point where her bike is stolen...but even the FISIA agents protecting Martin Hall are in on the joke! As if that wasn't bad enough, her replacement in Wheatley's office harries her about Conway's appointment. Ellen confronts Robbie and tells him to back down, which he does, but not before revealing a terrible secret about Conway which he plans to sit on until the time is right. #'Where Angels Fear to Tread' To air: 23 November 2008 Wheatley's visit to Britain is interrupted by a crisis at home when an American jumbo jet is hijacked at Doubledance International Airport. Ellen and Robbie work together to cover up a critical judgement error. #'The Ship of State' To air: 30 November 2008 Charlie acts as Chief of Staff while Robbie goes on holiday, but he doesn't count on a damaging leak. Drummond faces a leadership challenge from a young upstart. Category:Georgeland Category:Georgeland television programsCategory:Culture